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How much does an SEO consultant cost? How to compare quotes

Simon Tern

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Simon Tern

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What an SEO consultant costs depends on your starting point and your ambition. That is why there is rarely a price that fits everyone. What you can compare is how the work is priced, what is included and how you find out whether it works.

Three common ways to price it

Fixed price for a review. The consultant analyses the site and gives you a prioritised action list. You carry it out yourselves or with someone else. Good when you want a first picture without committing.

Monthly ongoing work. A set number of hours per month with clear deliverables. Fits when SEO is an ongoing effort. Ask what is included each month and whether there is a minimum term.

Quote for a project. For example a migration to a new platform or a restructure. The price is set by scope and should rest on a clear boundary.

This is also how I work: fixed price for a review, monthly for ongoing work and a quote for projects.

What affects the price?

  • The size and condition of the site. Many pages and technical problems take longer.
  • Competition for your keywords. More competition takes more work.
  • How much you do yourselves. If you write content in-house, the consultant’s share gets smaller.
  • How often you want follow-up.
  • Whether content is to be produced, or only planned.

Questions that make quotes comparable

  1. What is included, with concrete deliverables per month?
  2. How long is the minimum term, and what applies if we want to end it?
  3. Who does the work, and who will I talk to?
  4. How are results measured? The answer should be about enquiries and revenue.
  5. Are accounts and tools in our name, so we can keep the history?

Warning signs

  • A guarantee of first place on Google. Nobody can promise that, because Google decides the rankings.
  • Vague deliverables. “Ongoing optimisation” without saying what is done.
  • A minimum term with no check-ins.
  • Reports that only show rankings and never connect to customers.
  • Accounts owned by the agency. Then the history does not come with you if you switch.

What does it cost if you advertise instead?

Google Ads has two costs: the ad budget, which you pay straight to Google, and the fee for whoever runs the account. Read more about the Google Ads service and in Google Ads or AdWords.

Want to compare?

Feel free to send an existing quote, and I will tell you what I think is missing or unnecessary. Or start with what an SEO consultant does and how to choose between a consultant and an agency. Ready to talk? Get in touch.

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